A Guatemalan man accused of fatally setting a subway rider on fire in New York City had been deported in 2018 but later reentered the U.S., evading federal authorities and eventually staying in city-funded shelters, sources revealed.

The suspect, who has yet to be formally charged, was first apprehended at the Arizona border in 2018 after entering the U.S. illegally. He was deported just days later under the Trump administration. However, he managed to cross the border again under the Biden administration and made his way to New York City.

By April 2023, he was living at a Days Inn hotel on 36th Street, which had been converted into a migrant shelter. Records indicate he stayed at several other taxpayer-funded shelters, including one on Randall’s Island, according to sources.

On Sunday, he allegedly set a sleeping passenger on fire and stood by as she burned to death, police said.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the tragic incident.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)